As Above So Below
by Venomous Queen
Summary: AU Where Kcalb and Etihw grow up as brother and sister, but soon branch off and quarrel. It's mostly Kcalb's point of view, and it begins with Kcalb. Frequent moments of gore. ((lots of headcanons... look out!))
1. Chapter 1

_"Our heir… the heir to our Earth in Hell… what shall sustain as a befitting name for him?"_

_"Noir… hmm… What would go with our name?"_

_"Black… Black Noir… Kcalb… ! Kcalb! Kcalb! That's a wonderful name! … see how our child reacts to its lovely name! It's perfect… our perfect heir… he will be great, I know it."_

_"Belinda, truly you cannot be… overlooking our newly born infant. It cannot achieve success so easily as you make it sound."_

_ "Please, he holds the blood of the two most powerful demons known! Me and you… with our power, he could overrule us as easily as breaking a toothpick… I have faith he could achieve as such."_

_…_

_"As you say, m'lady."_

It had been twelve thousand long years since those praises had ever been exchanged to the lonely demon. Even being born of the most sacred, royal blood, he was treated lower than the peasants themselves; just for his differences. Kcalb was _awful, _absolutely _awful _in social situations. Stuttering being one of most horrible habits. The demon almost never left his wide open room, and kept himself to light studies (there was not much studying, considering how young he was at the time) and alone time.

Most frequently, he was teased for his abnormality. Why that was, no one could actually say. His eyes mostly gave it away; the inverted discoloration of the sclera and the iris. What was normally white was black and what was normally colored any color but white was colored, take a guess, white. If he were embarrassed or bashful, the white of his iris would blend into the cryptic blackness of the sclera; making it seem as if he had 'lifeless eyes'. His hair was as white as snow, and his skin was as pale as the full moon. His body was scrawny and frail for one so young, but he made up for that with a monstrous height of five feet and eight inches (while the regular height stood at four feet and seven inches) at the age of twelve thousand, or in 'normal years', twelve.

His horns, yes, his horns… they were most of the issue concerning his height. They were not fully grown _yet, _but were intimidating upon sight. They had a curve starting from the base, and ended near the end of the top portion of the head; shooting up straight from there with a threatening point. He wore black in every situation, and he had little to no companions; if any at all. His parents neglected him for this reason; Kcalb was _nothing _like they wanted him to be. They tortured him, beat him, left permanent scars… even the mark of damnation scorched into his side by burning metal. If tears could leave scars, he would say, his cheeks would be hollowed out and gone.

One day, however… his parents unleashed their every bit of anger onto him, declaring a public torturing. No one decided against it; no one came to help him. 'It was as if the world had nothing to say about me but silence' Kcalb would later quote before his session began.

"Mother…."

"….. M-Mother, please stop…."

"_You're disgraceful! You're smudging your awful actions into our family name!"_

"I have done nothing wrong… I have done everything you have told me… I've been obedient; I have done no wrong…"

"**Your mother is right, Kcalb. A true disgrace to the Noir name… nothing like a king; nothing like the ruler this place needs. You are going to get what you have deserved for a long time now today, Kcalb Julius Noir."**

The torturing began by handcuffing the child's hands behind their back and leading them through a line of jousting, angry men. They would throw rocks and sticks; whatever harmful object they could get their hands on. 'At this point, it was safe for me to say that no one appreciated me here', Kcalb would note later. 'The place where I have grown up… the place where I have lived all my life… and I have had no mercy with these people I would soon lead. I felt as if the core of my being had been cut out and stomped on by giants'.

The chamber he was dragged to was confined and dark; no one could look in but through the front. He was chained to the wall by his ankles and wrists with shackles, and no one, not by this point, seemed to take pity. From a distance, he could see the people whom he _knew, _the demons whom he spoke with at school, snickering with one another; watching as he be slain in front of the evil demons they were.

"I'm not like you…"

"….S-Stop comparing me to you…"

"I am not… nor will I ever be… like you…"

"_Listen here, kid. I ain't here to judge or anythin', I'm just doin' as I'm told like the obedient guy I am. Y'don't seem too dangerous yerself, but listen 'ere, boy. Yer gonna get strong, and when you do… come back t'me, and I'll teach ya all ya need to know 'bout overthrowin' yer parents."_

The demon's words brought silence upon the boy's lips, and the dirty man merely smirked.

"_That-a boy. Now, you just stay like that fer me- theeeere yeh are!"_

The shackles buckled tightly against his wrists and ankles to the point where his fingers began to swell, and he bit his lip trying to hold back his sobs. Another smirk, and the man moved away to have everyone admire the 'before' version of this to-be mess of blood and meat. Kids laughed hysterically in the back of the rows, and the adults, the ones whom Kcalb looked up to and honored, gave him stern glares. Tears began pricking at his eyes, and he watched in horror as a wall, which looked to be opaque on the inside, was really transparent from the outside.

"W-What are you doing…?"

"P…Please stop…!"

"I have done nothing to do you wrong!"

His cries were of no use, as tears trickled down his cheeks doing so. He was stripped of his shirt and his trousers, until he was only left clothed with a heavy fur coat. Why it was a fur coat, no one knew, but it amused the crowd, and roars of laughter emerged from it. The demon begged and pleaded for the laughter to seize, but to no avail. Choking back a sob, he dropped his line of vision to the ground, before the walls began to grow red, and thorn-like vines of steel began to emerge from the wall in which Kcalb was hanging from. The sharp thorns dug into his back, and began to wrap around his stomach, sending out a shattering scream and cry from the boy.

"M…Make it stop…!"

He sobbed, twisting his wrists in means of breaking free. Only more steel vines of thorns emerged, and wrapped around his neck in means of keeping his cries at bay. A yelp was all that was heard, until any other plead he tried to make came out as a small dribble of blood from the mouth. The cellar was heating up rapidly, as assumed to be the case of the red walls. The demon made more frequent attempts to break free, but with an unfortunate lack of magic skills, there was nothing to be done. He grit his teeth tightly as he yanked his body forward, only to get a sputter of blood escape his lips. His eyes widened at the horrifying sight, and he began to cry once more; nearly losing the ability to breathe.

"Stop… Stop…! This is irrational!"

Kcalb's voice was inaudible through the crowd, and he felt like giving up here and now. That's when strange things came into play. A new power he had never felt before surged through him; or was it just pain? His weak body grew limp in the grasp of the thorns and shackles, and the heat, _while _wearing nothing but a fur coat, began to burn his skin to a minority. His thrashing grew more violent, and the blood coming not only from his throat, but his stomach and back was something to behold. He screamed and shout and threw himself forward in attempts to get away, and that's when he finally began to hear the crowd.

"Look at that stupid boy, flipping around like that. Who does he think he is?"

"Sure ain't no son of our king, that's for sure."

"Can't do anything to save himself now, can he?"

"Disgraceful."

"He's so weak! Look at him trying! Ha!"

Insult upon insult enraged him unlike ever before. Such things he simply took to the heart; fusing them into anxiety, sadness, and depression, but now… now was no time to loathe. It was life or death. The pain from the tightness of the shackles and the pinning of the thorns held no effect on him anymore; now all there was, was red. He clenched his fists, closed his watery eyes, and listened to each and every insult.

"Pathetic! If I were in a situation like that, I'd kill myself!"

"I'm surprised he isn't dead yet. Die already, you piece of trash!"

"Some king, huh? Why can't one of our sons be ruler? They'd be better than this kid!"

….

"_Kcalb… Julius… Noir… you have brought disgrace upon our people… all because of your worldly existence, ever since the day you were born… we knew we had been cursed by the gods. With you! The result of my own flesh and blood! If my name isn't Lucius Noir… your name shall have no part of me."_

His father's voice rang through his head as clear as any other jeer from the crowd. A pain shot through his spine, but… it was a strange, _good _sort of pain. He liked it…~ Kcalb lashed forward one more time, screaming to the top of his lungs the scream of a boy who was finished with it all. From that, the horrific scene began to unfold. Splitting right through the stomach coiled vines were three pairs of wings; six in total. They were large in size, black in the middle, and a lighter tint of black along the spinal part. There were gasps, but most of all, there was terror.

More vines began to grow and lash at his feet and legs and torso, before tails began to sprout; splitting through those vines like a knife with cheese. One, two, three… more tails grew, until they stopped at the impossible number of _fourteen. _They slithered like snakes in the air, and pointed upward their spear-like tips; sharp and ready for combat. He stared at the crowd with a snarl, before he noticed the fear they held in their eyes; realizing what he had just done. It was as if everyone's rage had entered him, and his fear and agony had divided up amongst the crowd.

"I'm… sorry…"

The young, frail boy's stressed body returned to its state of pain, and his wings and tails limped down with him. He let out a sharp gasp, before turning to tears. From the silence, a bright lights began to form away from the crowd, and the demons looked over and shrieked.

"It's the gods! They're here! It's our final judgement! Get the heir!"

They shouted, before they were commanded to silence by a booming voice. It felt as if everything shook, and down descended a small girl with long, ebony black hair and a sparkling, drape-like dress with a design of diamonds, along with a diamond crown bestowed upon her head. The tall man next to her appeared to be five hundred _times _her height, and the god turned his head to the chamber.

"You have your heir in there… do you not understand what you do? Etihw, save him."

Etihw, which was the girl's name, nodded, and ran towards the crowd to save the tortured boy. The current king and queen -parents of Kcalb- teleported towards the god, and poofed into incredible height with the blink of an eye. Within the few seconds of that transformation, the girl had already walked through the barely visible door and looked up at the sobbing demon. He looked so… fragile and weak… she almost felt sorry for him. While his eyes were closed from the exhaustion, Etihw undid the shackles, and helped Kcalb up to his feet.

"There you go!"

"A-… I… thank you… Ghh!"

Kcalb limped to the other side in pain, before the young god caught him halfway, and let him lean on her as she half walked half teleported back to her father with the beaten boy dressed in nothing but a black fur coat.

"We will be taking Kcalb Julius Noir until you demons learn to control yourselves. Until then, your heir is mine, and you will have no one to rule you. Until that day comes… I bid you all farewell."

When the god teleported, everything went into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

All he felt were sharp pains coming from scars around his waist, neck, and all down his legs; a slick, drippy medicinal towelette being rubbed over them. The room was cold, to the point where he shivered when the cloth touched him even briefly. Gentle hushes from the one tending him soothed him, knowing someone was there. The demon lay comfortably on a fluffy mattress with expensive pillows and sheets that covered only portions of him; for his wounds were left exposed to the air and for the nurse to see. Kcalb could barely breathe; with every motion came a searing pain from the small holes which were caused by the penetrating steel thorns. The nurse was only working on his legs for the time being, and the sweet aroma of the milk and honey used in the strange medicine brought a sudden peace upon him. As his eyes fluttered open, he laid his eyes upon the face of a female angel, who looked to be at least sixteen thousand years old. She had beautiful blonde hair with blue eyes as blue as any sea. She seemed to enjoy tending to him, so that was of no concern to the demon. What was another concern was the fact that the six wings and fourteen tails were still completely out in the open in a room that looked fit for royalty; in a god's perspective, of course.

"You're finally awake? How are you feeling? Does anything still hurt?"

She spoke, removing the towelette from his legs. Standing up, she looked to be admiring her work with a small smile; seeing as to how the scars seemed to be healing. The demon continued to look around at the breathtaking scenery, and upon noticing this, the angel giggled, seeing that Kcalb was quite immobilized by the pain as well.

"The scenery is pretty nice here…! You're going to like it here, I assure you! Family starts here… always!"

"Y…You…"

He muttered, shutting his eyes tightly from the vibration of his voice box against the wounds. Was his life going to start anew here? Wasn't this the land of the gods? He was no god, he knew that much; if anything, he was their enemy. Her gentle sight lied upon him once more, and her straight, silky hair draped over her like a veil. The wings he assumed to belong to an angel bloomed from behind her like rose petals.

"You're going to be alright, I promise you… if anything else were to happen to you concerning what happened just last night, I, along with everyone else in our kingdom, would be willing to put themselves up on the line to protect you."

The girl's long, blue dress complimented greatly with the shimmer in her eyes, as expected from any heavenly being. She gently pulled back the sheets and began dabbing Kcalb's neck with such precision; he could not even feel it. The pain was relieved momentarily, but he could not do such things as to stress his muscles, or else it would irritate the wounds. Discovering that he could breathe easier without so much pressure on his neck, he let out a deep exhale; careful as to not irritate the wounds on his stomach as well, which the angel tended to as well.

While being covers for what felt like forever, he began to question the little things; was he still wearing that fur jacket? Could he be? He was very cold, and it felt as if he were at least wearing a shirt and shorts. He had never worn such shortly sleeved apparel before; it was almost foreign. The pain from his body left him as the generous girl finished the last touches to her session.

"If anything else hurts, please do not hesitate to ask me. Etihw will be visiting you shortly; be sure to greet her with respect!"

The girl grinned that soft, gentle, harmonic grin. Her voice was as lulling enough as to put someone to sleep; Kcalb was amazed that he didn't. As the angel departed, the little god with diamonds in her black hair and a draped dress came rushing in to sit on the stool next to him. He managed to sit up, and placed his hands in his lap nervously, as the girl positioned herself comfortably on the chair.

"Hey! Um… are you doing alright? Chi told me you weren't doing so well, earlier… I was nervous."

The enthusiasm left her voice and was replaced with strong concern and worry. She was… afraid for his health; a feeling Kcalb would have never expected someone to hold for him. His gloomy eyes looked into hers, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"I am fine, th… thank you. I cannot express my… my gratitude… for helping me…"

His cheeks flushed from the anxiety of speaking to the little god, and his iris soon swelled into the camouflaging shade of black that blended in perfectly with the sclera. Etihw smiled briefly, and scooted herself a bit closer.

"I've never talked to a demon before… when I saw you up there, I didn't know… that's how they treated each other. If I had known you were down there sooner, you could have been happy…"

She continued gloomily, almost growing teary eyed thinking about it once again. It was true that she had never met a demon before, or even knew where they came from, but she knew enough from her father that they were evil creatures; the opposite of gods. Kcalb, though… she held thoughts for him. He was different from all the other demons she had read and heard about. He seemed gentle; he meant no harm. Why were they hurting him? She could never imagine him doing anything wrong.

"D… on't… please… do not say such things. They simply neglected me for my differences… that is all."

His eyes returned to their normal coloration, and Etihw brought her hand down to hold his. His hands looked like paper compared to hers, and his nails looked to be black rather than their usual translucent clear color. His skin was frigid to the touch, and for him to feel the warmth from her astonished him. His body was cold up here because he was not where he belonged… weren't demons supposed to emit heat? He had more differences than he thought. She smiled once again, and spoke in a light tone.

"They hurt you… didn't they? They wanted to force you to change to be like them… right? You don't have to be like them here. You're perfect just the way you are, and I wouldn't want it any other way…!"

She rubbed her thumb against the back of the demon's pale hand, and saw as his eyes widened, and looked down. He was still, before he began to tremble, and Etihw got up from her little stool and sat herself on the edge of the bed, poking her head into his line of vision.

"C'mon, smile! You're okay now! I'm here; we're all here as a big, happy family! You don't need to worry about being judged or anything; you'll make so many friends here, I'm positive!"

She giggled, before blinking and losing her smile; seeing that Kcalb's bottom lip was quivering, and his eyes were faintly watering. She was brought to silence, as she listened to the small gasps and short sobs from the younger one. Eventually, he broke out into loud sobs, and he covered his eyes with his hands; Etihw having let go of his.

"H-Hey! Don't cry!"

She exclaimed, wrapping his arms around him and bringing him close. His arms awkwardly draped over her shoulders, and he continued to cry. He trembled dangerously, and his breaths were sharp and full of sadness. Was he confused? No one must have ever treated him this way, and after hearing such kind words for what must have been the first time… who wouldn't cry? She kept quiet, and watched as Chi, the angel tending to Kcalb earlier, walked passed the doorway, but returned back to see the little god soothing the heir to the throne of hell.

"Poor child… Is he… alright?"

Chi pondered, walking in through the doorway slowly; sitting in the stool Etihw once sat in. The god laid her head on the demon's shoulder, and hushed him gently. After a few moments, Chi began to sing. The angel put her hands in a prayerful position, and sang the tune to what sounded like a lullaby. Her voice was equivalent to the beauty of a choir of angels, and her entire physique seemed to be glowing with a radiant light. It was as if there were no other place but this haven.

"Eti… … I…"

Kcalb muttered, as the god brought him closer. The song came to an end, and the angel place a hand on the head of the demon, murmuring something under her breath, giving a goodbye, and leaving the room once more. The two children were stuck in silence, before Kcalb pulled away, wiping his eyes. Etihw looked back at him, smiling.

"Feeling better?"

She asked him, getting a light nod from the other.

"I feel much better. E-Er… what shall I call you?"

He stuttered, before the little god stood up; helping Kcalb up afterward. As she began storming down the stairs with the demon in hand, she said,

"You can just call me Eti, like you did earlier! Heehee, I like it! It has a nice ring to it!"

The demon flushed a vibrant pink, before Etihw slid through the halls and to the banquet room.

"Now for dinner with all three hundred and sixty six of my siblings!"


	3. Chapter 3

He almost choked on his own saliva. Did she just say _three hundred and sixty six _of her _siblings? _Kcalb had no time to retaliate before the two finally arrived in the banquet room with a table that must have extended a billion miles. There were angels of old and young, as were gods. Chi, the nurse girl, was discovered to actually have the name 'Ciel'; Etihw thought Ciel sounded too much like a boy's name, and decided on calling her Chi. Sherbet, who sat next to her, was a very smiley one. One almost never saw him with a frown. He would go on about how he adored sherbet, which was ironic, since that was his name. Anything having to do with frost, ice, frozen yogurt, frozen ice cream, anything; he would give sermons on that lasted at least a few minutes. Rigatona, the angel that sat to the right of Ciel, was dressed in what looked solely like a military uniform.

"People say she's been in wars and stuff, and because of her 'trauma', she vowed never to take it off."

Etihw whispered to the demon boy, as he stifled a nod through his nervousness. The angel had given off a sort of wave with a grin that sent a chill down his spine. Etihw, upon noticing there were almost no seats left for Kcalb and her to sit together, she grabbed his hand tightly, maybe a little too tight, and teleported to the nearby seats next to each other. Being teleported for the first time felt like a flash of nothingness, and suddenly reappearing wherever you desired. He had always wanted to do that… or at least remain invisible for an extended period of time. While thinking, the little god had pulled out Kcalb's chair for him to sit down, in which he responded with a light flush of the cheeks, a bashful look down, and a muttered 'thank you'. Etihw smiled as she saw how his eyes were entirely black.

"Is it normal for all demons where you come from to do that? It's really cool!"

She giggled, seeing as he made no eye contact when he spoke; she couldn't see his eyes before they returned to their normal state. Some gods took notice that there was a demon sitting at their table, as did the angels, but Sherbet, Rigatona, and Ciel made sure they were not too deceived. The demon was only here because his family had abused him to the brink of death, and their father, Lord Yahweh, as they called him, found it necessary to bring him up to live upon the good. 'He had a fair soul, whatever fragment he had of it', their lord said. 'It wasn't meant to be mistreated by such foul creatures as demons'. Kcalb responded to the girl's question by saying,

"E-Er… well, I suppose it's not. I've never seen anyone with such eyes as mine…"

After he spoke, the bustling chatter of three hundred and sixty five siblings became nothing more than a quiet air, before their lord came down upon them; giving a blessing and speaking about what the demon assumed were plans for some sort, and after finishing announcements, slowly raised his hand to point in Kcalb's direction.

"I do not know if any of you have met our new guest, but that there is Kcalb Julius Noir, of one of the most powerful demon communities one could name off the top of their head. He's quite young, younger than Etihw, I believe. Please do not mistake him of evildoing; he is far from evil. Kcalb, we welcome you to our family as one of our own."

With a sincere bow, a roar of applause emerged from the table, in which Etihw pulled him into a hug. His eyes did their thing again, and his face blossomed madly with a pink hue. There were brief grins from the gods and angels around them, and soon, food appeared in a blink of an eye upon the plates and utensils set before them. Everyone said grace and began to eat a warm meal of… Kcalb didn't know what it was. It may have been rice, peas, and what looked like pork, but he was never too sure.

"Every night, one of my siblings chooses the three meals of the day. I don't know who chose it this time, but that's rice, peas, and… some sort of meat! Trust me, it's really tasty. Go on, try a bite!"

The little god explained, before watching Kcalb intently as he brought a fork and knife down upon the meat and brought it to his mouth. He put it in his mouth quickly, as to not give Etihw an entire show of him simply eating food. He gave a humble nod and a brief smile.

"…. It's very good, Eti."

Etihw grinned, before digging into her own plate of food. The demon ate slowly; self-conscious of everyone around him. What if they stared? What if they made fun of him for the way he ate? What was there that Kcalb _wasn't _self-conscious of? The food was delicious, and eating slowly was an overstatement; he'd shove it all in his mouth if he could. He'd never do something so impolite, though… He could never imagine himself doing that, even if he wanted to.

After dinner, the room began to feel as if it was growing, but it was only because of the lack of people who had not finished their food. Etihw and Kcalb had moved over to sit in front of Sherbet, Rigatona, and Ciel; talking about whatnot. Kcalb himself didn't say much, for he didn't want them to laugh and/or make the conversation awkward; he had a tendency of doing that.

"Well, it's getting late, you both should get some rest. You too, Kcalb. I don't want to hear any excuses…! You're still brutally injured… I want you to feel better as soon as possible."

Ciel bowed her head respectfully, as he gave a nod back. The both of them said goodnight, and headed up the stairs to find that Kcalb's room was rather… dark. It was as small as what one would call a janitor's closet, but Kcalb didn't seem to mind. If anything, he was grateful that he could be by himself. Confined spaces weren't really his cup of tea, but that would change later, after the unfortunate inevitable.

"Night night, Kcalb! Sweet dreams!"

The little god sang, her ebony black hair fluttering behind her as she shut the door. There was a bed probably right in front of him that was backed up against the wall, followed by a side table, lamp, a few dressers, and a closet. What _didn't _this room have? For the most part, there was a television, but he wasn't one to watch TV. If anything, he just wanted a music box to lull him to sleep… just how he used to back at home. If his parents hadn't been so harsh to him, maybe he would be homesick, but he wasn't the least bit sick of home.

The bed, after getting under the covers, was as if it were made for him. It went perfectly with everything; his horns, wings, _and _tails. Maybe one day he would try to disguise those wings and tails as something else to keep them hidden, but not now; he barely knew what he was capable of! Still wearing those shorts and t-shirt, he didn't bother to change out of them; he was far too tired.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning, he woke up to a sharp pain in his neck; as if he were choking. He looked up to see that there was a demon on top of him, grasping onto his neck with a death grip. As to how a demon got through, he couldn't say, but either way, he tried to writhe free. Their hands were small, however; barely fitting over his neck, but Kcalb couldn't quite make out the figure's features. They looked rather short, and whatever horns they had were an incredible design; none he'd ever seen before.

"Stay. Still!"

They mustered, before the door flew open to Lord Yahweh opening the door. The light from outside filled the entire room, and the scene basically looked like a child sitting on top of something with fourteen tails and six overlarge wings spilling off the sides of the bed.

"It's only the first night, and you've already found him."

Lord Yahweh said nonchalantly. The small demon on top of Kcalb moved his hands away from the neck of the taller demon, in which Kcalb began to cough uncontrollably as he gasped for air. They turned around to look at the god, before pouting and folding his arms across his chest.

"I just wanted to say hi."

They admitted, before Lord Yahweh came in and removed the smaller demon from the heir; carrying him like a toddler would. They seemed to be perhaps Kcalb's age or younger, but due to their incredibly short height, it was hard to make out. Putting the demon down, Kcalb could finally see that it was a small boy who had a long cape-like coat and black hair. His purple eyes didn't seem to match with the black he wore, but they seemed to suit him, as far as Kcalb was concerned. After silent talking before the god and the child, the demon disappeared into thin air, and the lord came into the room, sat down upon the edge of the bed, and began to apologize.

"Forgive him; for he knows not what he does. He believes by using a sort of force, he could get his answers, but alas… he's only killed people in the past by doing so. He's young, he's young… perhaps younger than you. Are you alright?"

Kcalb, upon sitting up, gave a nod. Whoever that kid was, he was crazy. You don't _strangle someone to death _to greet them. That's like saying you're going to kill the president when you find out they're running for office. The lord stood up and took out a pair of clothes from the closet, setting it upon the bed.

"We're going to hold some activities outside today. You might want to wear something light, or white, in this case. Hohoho…"

Lord Yahweh left the room, strolling out of the room slowly; leaving Kcalb to himself. The demon got up, stretched a bit (hoping to not knock anything over), and got dressed. He took one last look of his room, in case he never saw or found it again, and walked out the doorway and outside.

It was bright and sunny, nothing like where he came from, where it was always dark with an eerie red glow to everything. Etihw was waiting for him outside, coming up to him and giving him a big hug. After their embrace, she led him around the gardens and introduced him to some of her siblings (introducing him to 366 people in one day could be overwhelming). Soon, however, they broke paths once Kcalb misplaced her, and went on to walk through the garden alone; looking down at his feet and the colorful flowers whenever he walked past any.

While he was walking, however, he could hear the slight, constant rustling of the flowers, in which every time he would look up and see nothing. Was there something there? As he walked further down the path, it became louder and louder, and soon enough, he caught the sight of two kittens. When they poked their little heads out from the shrubs, he swooped them up in his arms and stared into their wide eyes. They meowed happily, and Kcalb couldn't help but smile. Cats were calm creatures, and they were a wonderful pet, but why were they out here alone? He sat down around the flowers and played with them, giving the two names. The white one was Ater, and the black one was Arbus. They were both female, and they would respond to their names cheerfully whenever he called them. They played together for hours upon hours, before there was a 'universal search' for him since he had been out so long without anyone knowing where he was. Soon, Sherbet, Rigatona, Ciel, and Etihw found him with the cats, and he looked up at the four of them nervously, while the kittens jumped out of his lap and fused into a demon form.

"Oh! Kcalb, you made some friends!"

Etihw sang, as she clapped. Kcalb stood up and looked at the two demon cat girls as they turned around to both give him a hug. He was quite startled at first, but allowed the two sisters to hug him.

"We'll be with you forever, Kcalb!"

"Kcalb, forever we will be with you!"

The two girls smiled, and they pulled away from their embrace to turn around back to Etihw and ask if they could live with them. Upon getting a positive answer, the two girls gave a cheer, and followed with Kcalb as they walked back to the palace. Arbus had short black hair with white ears, and Ater had long white hair with black ears; their hair corresponding with their fur as cats. As to why their ears were different colors, he could not exactly say, but he didn't seem to care. As they entered the castle, the girls looked around at the beautiful scenery of the inside, and went into their cat forms once again to explore the place, not before they told Kcalb they would meet up with him at dinner.

Dinner came around, and there was no sign of Ater or Arbus. Kcalb had merely lost his appetite to his nervousness, as he looked around the room hesitantly for any sign of them. As he was prodding the fork into the potato they had served, Lord Yahweh came up behind him; tapping his shoulder, getting him to turn around.

"I assume these are yours? I found them in your room."

Ater and Arbus bounced into Kcalb's lap and made themselves comfortable, as he stroked a hand down their backs. He looked up at the lord cautiously, but he only laughed, telling him to take care of the kittens and that he could keep them inside palace grounds. Kcalb began eating his dinner, knowing that his new kittens were safe, and from time to time, whenever he stumbled across a piece of food he didn't like, he would give it to one of them. Etihw looked over at how happy Kcalb looked taking care of them, and smiled.

"See? You were all nervous at first; now you have kitten friends!"

Kcalb bowed his head down as if nodding, and continued eating. The two kittens purred as he pet them from time to time, and when it was time for bed, he got compliment upon compliment about the two black and white kittens he held in his arms. Upon entering his room, he, making sure Ater and Arbus didn't see, put his pajamas on and went into his bed and snuggled with them before the three of them dozed off. Living with the gods wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

The news the next day was news Kcalb didn't want to hear for a long time: School. Lord Yahweh was telling everyone what grade they were going into (did they not keep track?), what classes they had and what teacher and classroom, and giving them everything they needed for the first day of school. Kcalb and Etihw were going into sixth grade, and that counted as the first year of middle school. A lot of Etihw's siblings were in middle school, but more of them were in high school and college; some have even graduated and vouched to stay at home. Kcalb told this to Ater and Arbus, who were sad to here that he had to go for hours every day, but Lord Yahweh guaranteed him that he would take care of them while Kcalb was away. As they arrived at the school, Etihw went off to her first class, science, while Kcalb went to his first class, which was English.

Upon sitting down nervously while wearing a black buttoned shirt and black pants, he put his books on the table and waited, until he noticed that he was sitting next to another demon who looked to be highlighting and underlining a thick sheet of papers. He had green hair with some bits of what looked like melon pink, and glasses with a red frame. He looked to be wearing very sophisticated apparel, which draped him like a prince. More people began walking in, such as some angels and demons, and one demon that stuck out. He was complaining to a girl with pink hair and what looked like a dress from an older age, but her hair, _god, _her _hair. _It looked like it had claws of its own.

"Look, I actually _said _to him that I didn't want any! I don't know _why _he didn't listen! Grrr…"

The girl, who seemed to make a hum, pointed to the two extra seats beside Kcalb, and, the male demon taking note of this, dragged her on over. Asking if the seats were taking and hearing that they weren't, the red haired demon sat down and plopped his heavy books on the table, while the girl on the other hand seemed to be eating something that sent a downpour of crimson down her chin.

"You new?"

The demon asked. Kcalb nodded hesitantly, before the other grinned. He wore a black sweater with red stripes and what looked like black jeans. His horns were also red, but didn't blend in with his red hair. Folding his arms and trying to situate himself in the chair, he grinned once more.

"Well, the name's Lost. That's Cranber next to me. She, uh… well, you'll see."

Kcalb nodded another time and tried looking them in the eye to seem polite, but simply ended up looking off.

"I'm Kcalb. Kcalb Noir."

Lost nodded, and the demon with the green hair and the glasses shushed them. With his black pen and green highlighter, it looked as if his hands were melting through the plastic coverings.

"Shush! Can't you see I'm busy? I'm doing something for my history class, and I need to have it done before hand."

He didn't seem to have any time to introduce himself, so Lost saw this as his opportunity to do it for him. With a sigh and a glance back at Cranber, he began by saying,

"That's Yosaflame. He's probably the most serious dude you'll ever meet. He's really good at stuff, y'know? Education is his main priority. I heard from someone that if you get in his way, he'll burn your head to a crisp with just a single breath of flame."

That was… reassuring. Didn't they bother him just now? Were they burnt to a crisp and didn't realize it? The bell rang and broke Kcalb's trail of thought, and the teacher walked in shortly after. This was it. School. The place where horrid memories began, as he liked to call it.

"Welcome, students, for another year! My name is Ms. Wonders, and I will be your English teacher!"

Ms. Wonders was an angel, and upon looking eyes with Kcalb (having him look away rapidly), she stopped the class and approached him. The demon looked up at her nervously, and Lost seemed to be concerned for a moment, before assuming he was in trouble. Yosaflame didn't look up from his work, and Cranber continued eating whatever it was that stained her clothes with a blood-like color.

"Who are you? Are you new to the school?"

She asked. Everyone in the class had their attention on him, and his iris began blotching up with black to blend in with the sclera. The teacher took note of this, and tried not to freak out; as the process was usually momentarily, but not in all cases. Sweat dripped from his forehead like a broken faucet, and he gave a shaky nod, in which the teacher giggled.

"Would you mind introducing yourself?"

By this point, Kcalb was done with school. He had introduced himself at his old school and had things thrown at him. One time, he actually had a football thrown straight at his stomach, and he had to sit out for weeks. The teachers took advantage of this and gave him hours upon hours of work, which was the ice cream with the cherry on top of laughing children. Putting those thoughts aside, he cleared his throat, and tried to speak for himself.

"I'm Kcalb…. Kcalb… Noir…"

There were brief gasps from everyone. Did they all know his name? He only remembered introducing himself to one person. Did Etihw get word around that he was staying with her family so fast? Ms. Wonders was wide eyed for a moment, before backing away to her stool and glaring, before beginning the lesson with no further words. Lost patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. Ms. Wonders is really lame. It's all good."

Kcalb was brought to silence, and was silent for the rest of the class until Lost offered to be friends with him, which he responded with a positive note. A smile from the demon, and he wasn't seen in any other classes except for lunch or dismissal, which really didn't count. Lost talked to him at dismissal, and came to figure out that Kcalb sure was the quiet time. Etihw came over and spoke with them for a while, before Lost went on about someone who Kcalb thought sounded vaguely familiar…

"There's this kid who's said to go here, but no one really knows for sure. They say he 'haunts' the classes he takes, so you either see him or you don't. His names… Satanick. I got the chance to talk to him once; it was _wild, _but he's a pretty chill dude. Unless he likes teasing you, which is like, everyone, you better watch your back. He's a crazy trickster."

Etihw laughed at the description of this 'Satanick' kid, and Kcalb thought for a minute that Satanick might have been the one who 'attacked' him the other night. He didn't see him the first time, but then he saw him when they were talking to Lord Yahweh. How peculiar…

Upon heading home, Kcalb went straight to his room to find Ater and Arbus, and went to the banquet room with them for dinner. Days like these would go on for thousands of years, until one day, that all changed.


	6. Chapter 6

Years have passed since middle school, and alas, Kcalb and Etihw were passed school years. Etihw's hair had grown so long to the point it almost reached the floor, and Kcalb himself had a small ponytail. He wore black almost constantly, but he wore a black buttoned jacket that buttoned in two rows of three; buttons that looked like diamonds. He also wore a black belt over it as well, with black dress pants and shoes. His wings and tails had grown drastically through the course of those years, to the point where he had to fold up his wings to walk through doorways. However, with a perfected understanding of his powers, he created a cape that, however could not be removed, would fuse his wings and tails into something he could wear. It matched perfectly with his dark apparel, and it had fur along the top.

Etihw, however, corresponded by wearing all white. She had a white dress that touched the floor, and could be longer if she were taller, and a cape that buttoned up across her neck. Her crown of diamonds still remains, and she had six diamonds floating around her shoulders at all times. Her dress even had diamond designs on it; diamonds played a fundamental role with these gods. Kcalb, however, being an exception, and being allowed to wear diamonds as well. By choice, however, he only chose to wear a few; he knew he wasn't like them, and he didn't want to _be _like them by having diamonds all over his clothes.

At this day and age, Kcalb began to realize a true meaning about himself that he thought he would never understand. Day by day, he began to think as to _why _he was put here. True, his parents abused him, but he had been here for thousands of years. Wasn't about time they send him back? He started to feel as if they were trying to confine him; to make him their own and have him under their control. He was a child then, of course he wouldn't understand, but now, he felt as if he understood everything. They only wanted him here so that _they _could conquer, and take territory that was rightfully his away from him by fooling him into it. Just thinking about it made him angry.

One day, this day, was the day the peace was to be wrecked for ages to come. Kcalb appeared in front of Etihw through a storm of crows, and stared into her eyes. She smiled gracefully, and said,

"Ah, Kcalb… what brings you here?"

Kcalb snarled.

"You should know what brings me here. You are _god."  
_  
Etihw's smile seemed to grow, and she put her hands together behind her back. Did she not know? She had taken the throne after her father, with _three hundred and sixty five others _running up.

"I know I am, but do you think I would want to trespass into your timeline to find my answer?"

Kcalb was silent, before speaking up.

"I know what you're trying to do to me, and I don't like it,"

Etihw simply watched him.

"If anything, you're trying to manipulate me. I cannot believe I had not figured this out sooner… and I'm never coming back here."

After his cold sentence, her eyes widened.

"What? What are you saying? We are not manipulating you in any way!"

"SILENCE!"

He shouted, as he subconsciously and without knowing, began to growl.

"Don't play tricks on me. I'll take my rightful place as king in Schwarz, and we will fight. A war will begin… it's all your fault. You evil angels… evil gods. Your worse than my family could ever be."

His voice was brought to a snarl, and he vanished in another swarm of crows. The lady was silent, before turning around towards the castle.

"War… has begun, Kcalb."

Back in 'hell', or as he renamed it, Schwarz, the streets and palace were empty. Upon entering his castle, he put his hands out and changed the scenery to a cryptic shade of black. There were no red hues, no lights; just darkness. His throne was fit for a king, and he made some minor alterations to it to look as if it had come from a different century. As he sat down with Ater and Arbus in his lap, he heard what he swore was a baby's crying. Standing up and groaning, he walked around the palace to find a child wrapped in blankets. He had a dark hue of grey hair, and a halo over a little ahoge. An angel.

"Who sent you to me?"

Kcalb said, before reading a small note that slipped out from the child's hands. Picking it up, he read it.

'_Dear Kcalb Julius Noir,_  
_This is your brother, Wodahs Noir. We're sorry we cannot be here to tell you this ourselves; we have been captured by the gods and put to trial. It is inevitable if we will live, but if we do not, we want you to take care of him as we had taken care of you. _  
_Love,_  
_Belinda Janine Noir'  
_  
This… angel, was of his blood? This was his? His brother? Blasphemy, he said. Calling Ater and Arbus, he instructed them to take this to the palace above. He wanted nothing to do with this child. Ater and Arbus did as they were told, and wrote a mock letter, saying,

'_Dear Lady Etihw,_  
_Kcalb doesn't want this child, and wants you to take care of it._  
_Love,_  
_Ater and Arbus!'  
_  
They giggled and snickered all the while when delivering the message, and left the child on the doorstep and ringing the doorbell; just like a prank. They ran back off to a portal Kcalb had opened for them, and jumped through to find themselves in front of Kcalb's throne, where he was waiting for them.

"Did you carry out the deed?"

He asked them. The two girls nodded. He smiled a devious smile, and praised them for their work. It was nice ruling a kingdom where you were the king, and nothing could stand in your way. Up with the angels and gods, they told him everything he needed to do and controlled him, but now, he was fighting against that control, and went to the side he should have stayed on since the beginning. A demon should have never been up with creatures of good; they should have let him suffer down here until he was king. These were his true colors; this is who he was, and he _liked _it.

Up above, Etihw was getting her army together, and telling everyone about the unfortunate news. Rigatona was overjoyed that there was a war where she could fight and obliterate demons, but some others weren't as up to it. Lost, Yosaflame, and Cranber reported to Kcalb as directed by Etihw, and the four demons gathered up recruits from all over. They were strong, festive, everything Kcalb wanted. Lost was up to the idea; angels had always gotten on his nerves.

Ater and Arbus were to assist as well. Even as Kcalb was getting older, he began to see the frequent mistakes they made, and showed no mercy. They didn't seem to mind, however; they found it humorous. The armies were already put together, but did not fight until Kcalb's word, which was millennia later, after Kcalb had tried to destroy the castle himself. By this point, Wodahs was already old enough to fight, and he was the head angel of Etihw's fleet, and was assigned a helper, whose name was Grora.

After Kcalb said his word, the war began, and peace was no such thing.


	7. Chapter 7

Destruction, death, grieving and mourning of the millions of losses from both sides were all that was left in the world it seemed. The demons were plentiful in amount, yes, and both were of equal power, yet not of equal strategy. Yosaflame was the demon in charge of strategy, and the demons had the upper hand for thousands of years. It was stressful on both sides, but Kcalb turned this stress into a feeling that made him laugh and feel as if he were succeeding and progressing forward. Etihw had Wodahs and Grora on her side, which were the two in command and dressed for combat; Grora with her crossbow and Wodahs with any weapon he was given. They were dressed in white, as were the rest of the angels, which differentiated them from the armored, sometimes freely dressed demons. Etihw found it humorous that they had the freedom of dress, and felt, way back in her heart, that 'the old' Kcalb was still there.

Ater and Arbus were first in line from time to time, and took out billions of angels with a single blow. Although clumsy, they were the most skilled in combat. Yosaflame would send out warriors of fire, which sent everything near into ablaze. Lost used techniques of poison or toxics that could pollute the air and, whenever inhaled, would burst one's lungs; however, this was only effective to angels. Cranber would go first out in combat and rip her enemies to shreds; eating their brains as she traveled. Everything felt as if it were going so well for Kcalb that he commanded they call him 'Lord Kcalb', which he cherished immensely.

"Yosaflame, what's the next strategy?"

Kcalb would ask, as he sat upon his midnight black throne; the moon coming in from the windows brightening the room just enough to see him through his camouflaged apparel. Every time, Yosaflame would respond matter-of-factly; providing a diagram and further explanation behind his theories.

"Lost will send out the toxic gas, while Cranber stuns them with her glares, as we have come to figure out can paralyze victims even from afar. I will blow a mass of fire in all directions, and Ater and Arbus will aim for inside the palace. When they reach, if that comes to pass, they will give Etihw a gift, any gift, and when she picks it up, it will send of a magical vibe that will knock out her guards and kill her by inserting a venom through a prick that can penetrate from anywhere within the item."

A devilish smile would crawl upon Kcalb's lips, and he would give a chuckle; praising Yosaflame for his hard work, and going out with the plan. However, this plan did not work for years to come; Ater and Arbus could never get to the palace, until one day, Kcalb left his throne and went to see everything for himself. He arose from the ground while black fires and hazes spread in the air like smoke, and he appeared through a swarm of crows.

Cranber stunned all the angels, as according to the plan, and Lost spread the toxic sealed from within a special container. The angels would die instantly from the contact, as blood would shoot from their mouths like water balloons, and Yosaflame sent his wave of green fire among them; frying them all to a black crisp. The demon lord smiled widely, and followed by shadow behind Ater and Arbus who were finally successful in entering the castle in cat form.

The palace was just as he remembered it; wide open whiteness as far as the eye could see. There had been more additional staircases, which must have been there just to tick the enemy off in case one was to trespass. The two girls ran up what felt like a never ending staircase with Kcalb simply lingering behind them. Upon reaching the end, they saw two large doors. That must have been it! Both of them pushed the door open lightly, carrying the little present, and walked on over to Etihw. Wodahs and Grora were standing on either side of the wide white throne, and Etihw stood up.

"What brings you here?"

Either she forgot who they were, chose not to point them out, or was planning an attack. Ater nudged over the gift, and Wodahs went to pick it up, but the two pulled it back. The head angel stood up straight once again, and this time Grora went to pick it up, but Ater wouldn't let her. Etihw stopped and glared down at the two cats before speaking up.

"This must be a work of Kcalb's. Wodahs, I understand this is your brother, and if you wish, you may stand away while I exterminate these two."

Ater and Arbus hissed in unison, running over to Etihw while shoving the gift against her foot, only having the magic take out the guards and not kill the queen. The room was embedded in silence, and Etihw walked right in front of the faintly, _faintly _visible shadow upon the floor.

"Kcalb, I know you're there. Get up."

From hearing her request, he emerged from the ground in a straight line; standing upright and glaring straight into her eyes with anger and hatred. Etihw stared back at him coldly. Behind those cold eyes was a feeling of guilt and no hope. There must have been no hope left if Kcalb had just now tried to kill her. Their stares were growing restless, until Ater and Arbus appeared by Kcalb's sides.

"No one will hurt Lord Kcalb!"

"Lord Kcalb will be hurt by no one!"

The sisters said, defending their 'fatherly friend'. Etihw brought her head down, and Kcalb watched as she looked back up at him; pale in the face.

"You tried to kill me. You knocked out my guards and planned to kill me. Victory won't come to you so easily, Kcalb; that's what you must learn. You're… a threat now, Kcalb. For that, I will banish you for your actions, and you will not talk back to me."

Kcalb's rage boiled up inside him as he wanted to lash out at her, but the magic straining him kept him from doing so. The four were instantly teleported outside to a distant mountain which was perfect for looking down upon the field of battle.

"Look what you have started, Kcalb. You will not get away with this."

Ater and Arbus were pushed far away, flying through the air at least thirty feet away from the two leaders. Etihw continued to stare into him, and she lifted a hand up in the air slowly, as it radiated with a bright energy.

"For a millennia, you will stay locked up within the Earth's deepest core, and you will have no escape. No one to rescue you, no one to talk to; no one and no thing. This, I proclaim, in the name of the angels."

The entire world seemed to shake, and even the ones on the battlefield seized their quarreling to behold a horrific sight. A fissure opened below his feet as he was hovered above it, and he begged, pleaded to be let go.

"Etihw! Seize this at once! You will pay for this!"

With a final shout, he plummeted down into the open fissure, and the ground closed around him. Etihw bent down and put down what looked like a seed, and it immediately bloomed into a black rose. Its thorns were unusually sharp, and the black seemed to be dripping from the petals like poison. Ater and Arbus looked at the sight with terror, and watched as Etihw walked away with no emotion; eventually fading away like an apparition. The two girls ran over to the flower, the place where Kcalb laid hundreds of miles below the Earth, calling his name. They sat there and mourned; holding each other and sobbing. Yosaflame, Lost, Cranber, and the rest of the demons were standing in silence, holding a brief moment of mourning. The angels simply stared in horror as to what had happened, but merely cheered after seconds. Outraged, the demons continued their attacks, and they did not seize.

_Dark… _  
_Cold…_  
_It's very dark, and it's dreadfully cold._  
_I cannot move; the Earth will not let me. _  
_I cannot see; there is nothing here which wants notice by me._  
_I cannot feel; for the Earth has nothing left for me to feel anything._  
_Etihw…_  
_Eti…. hw…._  
_When we meet again…._  
_There will be nothing left._  
_I will destroy it._


	8. Chapter 8

A millennia of fighting. Yes, an entire millennia of nonstop, constant warfare. The demons had no lord; neither Lost nor Yosaflame or Cranber were willing to take up the task while he was away, but they fought to their extent to make him proud. Sometimes they wondered how he was holding up. Was he asleep? Did he miss them? Sometimes, Ater and Arbus would go up upon the mountain and sit with 'Kcalb' to tell him how the war was coming along.

"We're winning! I'm pretty sure… we're winning, right, Arbus?"

"Right. We're winning, Ater."

As always, there was never a response, but sometimes they watched the flower go by day and night, and time to time, Yosaflame would take care of them if they _really _needed it. Lost, Cranber, and Yosaflame were very obedient towards Kcalb. Ater and Arbus were probably the only thing of him that was still present. Maybe sometimes they were spoiled with riches from the common folk, but they didn't deny it, oh no.

Etihw stood her ground, showing no mercy to the demons. Wodahs and Grora were now in plain sight of combat, and were not affected by the gasses. The flames, however, were a different subject. They had minor burns, but they did not heal quickly, and were a nuisance to take care of. One day, as Grora was close to the first line of combat, she was encountered by Ater, who gave her a sullen glare.

"Can I help ya?"

Grora said sarcastically, before Ater lunged a clawed finger through the angel's eye socket and back out with the eye attached. From that, blood was pooling down from the empty hole, and Ater cut off the end of the cord with another claw.

"That was for hurting Lord Kcalb."

She said with a growl, before walking away and almost giving it to Cranber who asked for it, but deciding that she should keep the eye just for pete's sake.

More days and years went by without any sight of their king, and it felt as if the angels had an advantage. It wasn't fair if they had a leader and they didn't! There were only so many demons left, and it's not like they regenerated like the angels seemed to do. Yosaflame, Lost, Cranber, Ater, and Arbus were almost out of ideas as for tactics, and almost retreated, but decided not to hold anything back and attack with everything they had. Yosaflame's fire blowing was an excellent touch to Lost's new found flaming arrows (with poison). Wherever it landed, be it person or ground, it would send a poison almost like nuclear that would deteriorate anything in plain sight. This idea was trashed quickly, however, because they thought that the nuclear energy may reach the core of the Earth and kill Kcalb. They weren't very skilled in Earth Science at the time…

Time was closing in to Kcalb's awakening, and the anticipation grew upon every day. Ater and Arbus were literally hopping around with excitement knowing that Kcalb would be returning, but the angels didn't seem too enthusiastic. Etihw remained quiet about the ordeal, and seemed not to care what happened to each other either way. The day seemed to arrive quicker than expected, and the ground rumbled off and on; each rumble getting the demons hype for the return of the leader. They knew he had a great plan for destruction, and he might even go with it in plain sight after he was awoken. What they didn't know, however, was his anticipation to destroy _everything. _He had no care anymore; if Yosaflame, Lost, Cranber, and the rest of his friends were gone, why would it matter? He was a disaster anyway; he didn't deserve such lovely comrades.

A silence washed over the battleground, as the sky turned into an eerie black from its usual eerie hue of purple from the surplus of poison that had lost its effect but never left the atmosphere. The ground shook dangerously, taking a lot of them off their feet (some simply chose to hover). A mass of dark energy emerged, and Etihw watched as it rose into the air slowly and spread its wrath upon every living thing. Ater and Arbus went into the castle, as did Yosaflame, Lost, and Cranber, and watched from afar what was about to unfold. An insane laughter roared from the clouds like thunder, and Kcalb appeared from the energy that was now absorbed in his hands. There were screams, and then there was darkness. Ater looked around to see that the castle was merely floating, and that there was nothing else left. No angels, no demons… no Etihw, but especially, no Kcalb.

"Guys? Is, uh… everyone alright?"

Ater spoke up, hearing quiet hums from the rest of them.

"We all seem to be here, Ater."

Yosaflame stated, adjusting his glasses. Cranber looked around for anything to eat, before dozing off, and Lost simply appeared confused.

"Did everything…? Did he destroy _everything_?"

He said, getting a nod from Ater.

"It appears that way… where is he, though? I'm scared…"

"Scared am I too, Ater."

Said Arbus, glancing out the window for a brief moment to see Kcalb in the middle of the nowhere he had created, and the life which was destroyed. Etihw stood before him, silent, and they simply watched each other's moves, before the land was slowly restored. The demon looked bewildered for a moment, but since it was coming along slowly, he had no care. Etihw watched him until he disappeared in a flock of crows, and reappeared within the castle. Ater and Arbus squealed for joy and hugged him, while Lost, Yosaflame, and Cranber couldn't help smiling.

"You're alright, Lord Kcalb."

Lost grinned, giving a bow to his lord.

"Yes, I am, Lost. I thank you for your concern."

… Kcalb didn't sound as stern, but no one seemed to partake in any notice of it. Everything went on as normal for the rest of the evening before nighttime came around. The king lied in his bed, awkwardly not shifting around as he did before. Was he that accustomed to being underground…? He started thinking again… and he felt like a huge jerk. It was as if he were going through a phase, and the phase just punched him right in the face. He realized what he had done and how it was wrong, and planned an apology for Etihw in the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

After getting dressed in something a bit nicer (which was basically just a cleaner version of what he had on yesterday), he went out through the front door; not being pestered by the cats first.

"Where are you going, Lord Kcalb?"

"To where are you going?"

They asked. Kcalb gave a brief sigh, and replied with the most honest answer. This was how he truly felt after so long of feeling so… angry. As to why, he could not explain. Was it because he was a demon, and that was just his 'demon' kicking him in the face?

"I'm going to apologize for all I have done to Etihw. All of this is… pointless; it's silly, really. I now realize that, and I wish to make peace with the angels."

Ater and Arbus smiled and both bowed, before running back inside to play with the other three. Outside, everything seemed to be repaired overnight. Etihw sure was good at fixing things. Thinking about it further, what if Etihw didn't forgive him? He could never forgive himself for this mess, that was for sure. He wasn't ready to hear her answer, and he almost decided against apologizing, but upon further analysis, apologizing would be the way to go either way; no matter what Etihw said.

Knocking on the door, feeling it rude to simply sneak through as he did with his cats, he waited to see Wodahs answer the door. He had a defensive glare, but upon looking further, noticed the sadness beneath the demon's eyes.

"Brother… you repent."

The head angel said, as he got a nod from the older one. He was nervous to admit it, but Wodahs nodded, and let him in without any difficulty. He was relieved, and even had assistance to an easier way to the throne room of Etihw. Entering the room, Etihw seemed quite startled that Wodahs was bringing in Kcalb, but he reassured her by saying,

"Lady Etihw, Kcalb has no means to hurt you. He feels remorse for what he has done, and by realizing it, wishes to apologize."

A smile grew on the god's gentle face as she walked down to him and looked him in the eye, in which he nervously looked away; cheeks flushed and pupils swelling black. She grinned, and put her hands on his shoulders.

"You truly feel that way…"

She said quietly, getting silence from the demon, as per usual. After a while, he gave a nervous nod, and the god pulled him into a hug. They were now twenty eight and thirty four thousand years old… so many years since Etihw had last embraced him. It was nice to feel her warmth against his cold skin. Grora, from the side of the throne, smiled, saying,

"Look at the little love bugs all of a sudden! Never imagined this to be the worldwide OTP."

Etihw grinned at the angel, and pulled away from the hug, seeing Kcalb's face immediately light up the moment she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Welcome home, Kcalb."

…  
Kcalb picked out a new wardrobe of a simple black tux and tie with a long black coat with diamonds along the border. Of course, the coat was a redux of the fur coat he wore many years ago, and his wings and tails served the purpose of providing the jacket for him. He had also cut his hair to a more… sustainable length, and dressed himself up as much as he could. He didn't want to see himself the way he was those years ever again; a change was in order. His comrades greeted him with respect, and Etihw appeared at his castle. Opening the door, Kcalb saw that she had also cut her hair to shoulder length; maybe a bit longer. She still had her usual dress pattern, but a different design. She had her hands folded most of the time, and she smiled up at him.

"Hey, Kcalb."

She said, as the demon let her in. The rest greeted her normally, and it was safe to say that peace had returned. After a time of festivity, and a guest appearance by Sherbet, Rigatona, and Ciel, Etihw teleported Kcalb to a mountainside where they could see off into the sky in a beautiful garden of flowers.

"We're going to have to make a new castle now, for the both of us. We're going to have to start fresh again. Rename everything…"

She began.

"Yeah…."

Kcalb replied blankly, staring off into the distance. The flowers around them danced around their feet, and the butterflies and bees hummed happily through the air. It was so peaceful now, now that everything was back to the way it was. The gardens were as beautiful as ever; he hoped someone might share the same adoration he held for them.

"As for Rigatona, Ciel, Sherbet, Yosaflame, Lost, and Cranber… we're going to have to reincarnate them into _something._"

Etihw blurted out.

"I'd like to only focus on naming things…. I have a few ideas for the castle."

Kcalb muttered in reply, not making any eye contact.

"Really? Let me hear them."

Enthusiastically, she looked at Kcalb, who did not return the gesture.

"Hmm… Blancblack castle? Blanco as in white, and Black."

He replied matter-of-factly. Etihw laughed.

"You always managed to put 'black' in all your territories, huh? I like it, though! Now a name for the garden… Oh! I have some names for the reincarnations! What about Yosafire for Yosaflame, Froze for Sherbet, Macarona for Rigatona, Rawberry and Raspbel for Cranber; she can have two, why not? Dialo for Lost, and Chelan for Ciel! Incorporating 'Chi' for Chelan, of course."

The names in Kcalb's opinion weren't terrible, but he didn't want to think about his friends having to be reincarnated into younger children, perhaps even of different gender. Oh well, he'd get over it. As for the garden… well, it couldn't have anything to do with the color 'black'; he used it too much and, for Etihw, didn't want to make her irritated by the fact that everything revolved around that color. He thought for a moment after taking the names of the reincarnations into account, and spoke up.

"The Blancblack Garden? Hmm…"

"Hmm…"

They both pondered. It wasn't a bad idea, but Kcalb wanted a more 'creative' name, so to say, even if it was just one little word. Suddenly, he got an idea.

"How about The Gray Garden?"

Etihw smiled at the name and hugged him, getting his cheeks to flush a deep pink.

"I love it."


End file.
